Chapter 29

Kazuki blocked a blow with the armor on his forearm.

Adding some defense to his outfit had definitely been the right decision, he thought. Granted, he wasn't actually using his hero costume, but Yaoyorozu had made him some relatively similar replacement armor to get used to it for the moment. After all, he couldn't get the actual costume whenever he wanted. If he damaged it, the money for it would come out of his budget for support equipment, and Kazuki wasn't using that too much at the moment.

What mattered was that he was getting used to the changes in his own way, and it was going well. Between the armor and his Grimm Guard, Kazuki felt confident in his ability to fight someone himself in close quarters. He was no Midoriya or Sato, of course, but he was sitting comfortably in between the people that were more suited for range and those that were more suited for melee.

That didn't mean that getting hit by limbs that were basically made of iron didn't shake him though.

"That hurt," he mumbled, stepping back and shaking his arm after stopping another attack with its armor. Tetsutetsu was as much of a pain to spar with as Kirishima, Kazuki had found. Which was good for training purposes, but also annoying.

Beowolf claws did nothing to them, he knew. He'd also tried to shoot some nevermore feathers at them with his Grimm Guard too, but it had been just as useless, if not more so. Boarbatusks didn't offer Guard options other than defense, really. So…

His next attempt came from the beringels.

A hand from one of the gorilla-like creatures appeared from his shadow, smacking the iron boy hard enough that Kazuki knew he'd gotten through that defense, if only just a little. He confirmed that further with the groan that the boy let out, but mostly because of the spike of pain that he felt. Fortunately, he hadn't hit Tetsutetsu too hard. 'Ok, that one works… Gotta be careful not to go too far though,' he mused, grimacing a little as one of the beowolves that were fighting 1-B students slipped a little.

That bite had been too close for comfort, but he could manage. He could do it. He was only controlling four grimm, since he was also fighting someone himself. He could pull that off. He just needed to keep his head cool.

Or he could finish the spars faster by making more grimm-

"Fuck. Time out," he hissed, and Tetsutetsu immediately stepped back. "Thanks. Sorry."

"No worries, man. Not gonna lie though, that last hit got me good though. I was kind of hoping to hit back," the other student told him, grinning to let him know he wasn't serious. Kazuki replied with a wan smile of his own. Feeling just as uneasy as he did all the other times he almost slipped during training.

It was so frustrating too. Sometimes, like just then and there, he'd feel confident, he'd feel well. It was almost like he was in complete control, but the thoughts of pushing for more would still come. It was like he couldn't get rid of them.

… He really hoped that wasn't the case.

"Break?" Hagakure asked, appearing by his side with a bottle of water. He took it, but he eyed it cautiously. "It's not the knock out thingy. Honestly, Creepy, it was one time."

"And that's one time too many," he replied dryly. "And yeah, I think I'll take a break. Sorry for cutting it short, Tetsutetsu. I'll let you smack me some other time."

"It's fine, buddy. We still went at it for a while," the iron boy told him, waving him off before moving to the side of the training facility that held the machines.

With that out of the way, Kazuki turned to look at the rest of his grimm and their "sparring partners" as it were. Things were going well with his project to get other students to practice against his creatures. Granted, it was mostly from 1-A and 1-B, but he'd gotten a few older students to spar with them sometimes.

Well, "spar" was a strong word. Most of those had been just to try some new moves they were working on and little else, but Kazuki decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth… too much. Still, he was grateful that at least one of those had been a serious training partner and not just someone taking advantage of the non-human target his grimm represented.

That was nice of her.

"You can go train or exercise too, you know?" he commented, giving Hagakure a look as he took a gulp of the water bottle she'd given him. "I know I'm cutting into your time here already."

"It's fine. We are not all training maniacs like you or Kirishima," she replied, but he could feel the frustration in her that he'd ignored before. Tilting his head, he gave her a look… as best he could, considering he didn't know where her eyes actually were. "And I got kind of angry while trying to do new things with my Quirk, so I could use a break too."

"That's more reasonable, yeah, but I guess you are right. There's no need to be training everyday," he replied with a nod before running his fingers through his now wet white hair.

"You know that kind of makes me sound lazy, right?"

"It's not what I was trying to say at all," he reassured her with a wave of his hand before snapping his attention back to the grimm spars going on for a bit. "I just don't have much else to do, really. If you guys are busy, all there is for me to do is study, or spend time doing nothing back home. You have hobbies and family and a whole lot of other stuff to do. The situations are different."

"... That's a whole other way of making me feel bad," Hagakure pointed out, to which he grinned guiltily.

"Sorry," he told her with a shrug. "But it's what it is. Nothing we can do about it, and you shouldn't feel bad for having a good life. I don't want your pity, or for you to feel bad. Honestly, I'm happy for you, that's all there is to it."

"Really?"

"... Ok, I might be a bit envious at times, but that's just life. I'm not gonna get angry about it or anything," he admitted.

"That's… remarkably honest of you," Hagakure said hesitantly.

"You are a friend. I don't feel like I need to hide much," he replied.

"Hm, I guess that's that."

He just hummed in turn, focusing on the spars as the conversation died down.

"I'm sure you know." Or maybe it hadn't died down all that much. "But I'm scared a lot lately," Hagakure told him. To that, he simply hummed, because there was no point in answering either way.

He had felt her be like that quite a bit. When they were in class and Todoroki called attention to himself was one such instance, but she also was frightened when they were training regularly. She was scared at seemingly random times in class. That wasn't all she felt with regularity though. There was also helplessness and frustration added into the mix.

Unfortunately, Kazuki didn't really know what to do other than try and keep her mood up when they were together. He'd helped her start talking with someone about it, convincing her to visit Hound Dog, but that was the extent of what he could come up with. Not much but it was all he could think of.

"I really thought I was gonna die in the USJ, inside the ice," she mumbled, shuffling closer to him and speaking in a low voice that nobody else could hope to hear. At least, not without Quirk shenanigans involved, but Jiro was otherwise occupied at the moment and Mezo wasn't around, from what he could see. Beyond that, he didn't know if anyone else might be hearing. "And now, I can't stop thinking that it could happen again. I'm not… I'm not all that strong and my Quirk doesn't even really allow for support items so…"

"... Just because you have your strengths and you can't cover your weaknesses, doesn't mean you are helpless," he said after considering his words for a moment. "There's much you can do, and the things you can't or might find difficult, can be done by someone else. Hero teams are a thing, after all. Other people can be your support instead of equipment… It sounds kind of bad when I say it like that, doesn't it?"

"A little bit," Hagakure replied, letting out a short, slightly watery chuckle. "But I get it. Inui said something like that too. I'm just… I guess it'll take time to get over it."

"Or you might never "get over it"," he commented, feeling her emotions spike, predictably. "People don't seem to realize that sometimes you never quite get over the bad things," he said then, eyes following the movement of his grimm on the training grounds. "They just… fade into the background, like a scar that heals over, but can still hurt if you make the wrong move. Sometimes you just go on despite the pain or use it to be stronger than you were before," he explained, then he snorted weakly, running his fingers through his hair. "Or maybe that's what people mean and I'm just getting philosophical for no reason."

"Maybe," Hagakure told him, a hint of mirth showing in her tone as she pushed against him with her shoulder. The best sign for Kazuki though, was the way her negative emotions lessened, as if pushed to the side. "Still, thanks for listening. You were right. Sometimes just talking helps."

"Anytime, Bubbly," he replied with a grin.

After that, conversation really died down, with the two of them just standing next to each other and watching the rest of the training going on. Kazuki felt confident that he could have gone back to training in a more intensive way, but he felt like taking a longer break right then and there. It was always difficult to push through the outside negativity. Adding his own to the mix only made things worse, especially in that particular case, since he had to avoid frustration in a place that had plenty of that with everyone trying to be better in the training facilities.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Monoma," a sudden new voice said from behind them, making Kazuki and Hagakure jump a little. He grimaced then, grabbing at the metaphorical reigns of his grimm before they could slip from his control. With that done, he turned to see who had thought it was a good idea to surprise him.

Then he blinked, seeing a person who definitely had to be a teacher, considering they looked… well, very adult, and the fact that they were wearing a costume. The tower of a man in red and white had one hand on the shoulder of a blond boy that looked pretty familiar to Kazuki. There was disappointment coming from the man, while the student held frustration and envy in quite the amount.

Blinking, he regarded the two while the teacher seemed torn on what to do for a moment.

Then the man sighed.

"Don't use your Quirk on him, Monoma," the man said, making Kazuki take a step back cautiously, even if they were still some distance away. A moment later, he realized that the teacher had solely referred to him, not Hagakure, which was a little concerning. There were a number of reasons for that, and none of them sounded good to Kazuki's ears.

"The school's really playing favorites, huh?" Monoma commented, his envy spiking. "That's not what I expected from U.A."

"Nothing like that," the teacher said firmly. "But you copying his Quirk would be a terrible idea."

'Copying my-' Kazuki thought, eyes widening as he took another step back. Yeah, terrible wasn't even covering how much of a mess that could have ended up as. His Quirk had gotten stronger as he got older. If he had as much trouble keeping it under control as he was, what hope did someone new to it have? Unless this Monoma could copy his mastery over it, which… would be all sorts of unfair, really, even if it would have been for the better.

"Worried I'll steal the Quirk of one of the stars?" Monoma asked, bitterness clear in his voice and through Kazuki's sense.

"We know better than that, Monoma, but his Quirk is dangerous. If someone other than him had access to it, it could be a disaster," the teacher said, sending an apologetic look towards Kazuki that he just waved off.

"If you say so," Monoma replied, clearly not believing what was being said.

"Maybe we can explain better," Kazuki said then, joining the conversation for the first time, despite being a focus of it, and drawing the two's attention. "Somewhere more… private?" he added then, looking around at the training facilities.

"That would help, but there's no need to do that," the teacher told him. It took Kazuki a moment to realize that the teacher was giving him an out so that he wouldn't have to tell someone else who he was and what his Quirk had caused. That was… still something new to him, that someone cared enough to try to spare his feelings. Although, it became easier if he rationalized it as them trying to cover for the school's publicity.

He was pretty sure Hound Dog would have said that wasn't very healthy or something in that vein.

"It'll be easier that way," Kazuki replied, trying to show that he was fine with it. As fine as he could be, at least. Monoma clearly didn't like him, for some reason, so telling him that he'd caused a massacre was unlikely to help matters, really. However… "Anything so that he doesn't try to use my Quirk," he added wryly.

That was a bit too high a security risk, in his opinion.

Despite his words, the teacher seemed to be relieved that he'd decided to push through with his idea. Letting go of Monoma's shoulder then, he extended the hand towards Kazuki. Still a little on edge after the revelation that someone else could cause a Black Rampage now, he took the offered limb and shook it.

"Sekijiro Kan, or Vlad King, whichever you prefer," the man introduced himself with a slight smile. "And this is… one of my problem students, Neito Monoma."

"A pleasure," the boy said then, with a tone, expression and feelings that told Kazuki it was anything but.

"Kazuki Endo," he replied with an uneasy smile. "Can you get everyone up to speed, Hagakure?" he asked then, after the girl introduced herself to the two. "I think this might take a little bit."

"Sure thing," she told him, placing a hand on his arm and giving him an encouraging squeeze before leaving.

"Follow me, and Monoma, remember what I said," the teacher, Vlad King, said. Just in case though, Kazuki made it a point to walk as far away from the other student as he could manage. "Now, do you want me to do the talking or…?" the teacher said once they reached an empty classroom and he'd closed the door.

Kazuki didn't answer the question immediately, however. Instead, he regarded the other boy, Monoma. He was feeling worse than before, and it was making him nervous. Surely he wouldn't do anything stupid, right? Kazuki certainly hoped that was the case.

"I'm Kazuki Endo, like I said," he introduced himself instead of replying to the teacher's question. Then he gave Monoma a wry smile, deciding to get to the point. "You've probably never heard of the name but-"

"My classmates won't shut up about you, especially Kamakiri," the blonde interrupted. The admission seemed to turn the boy's mood for the worse, if that was even possible. Then he seemed to grumble something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "traitors" to Kazuki.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. You might know me from before though, just not by that name," he said then, trying to get the conversation on track. Still, he couldn't help but make a pause there, closing his eyes to steel his resolve. "Does the name Black Rampage ring any bells?" he asked with an almost resigned shrug as he turned to regard the other student.

Monoma didn't answer immediately. He likely hadn't expected that to come out of nowhere like that, at least from him. After a moment though, Kazuki felt some twitches in the boy's emotions as he likely remembered hearing about the event at one point or another. Then the feelings settled into horror, his face paling and his eyes widening.

"You… But that… Then if I…" Monoma stammered, pointing at Kazuki and then back at himself.

"It's not a guarantee that you'd cause… that if you copied my Quirk… But I'm sure nobody wants to try and see if you do," he replied wryly, looking towards Vlad King to see the teacher watching the two with a mostly impassive expression. "I'm sure a try could be arranged, if you really want to, but we'd likely need to schedule something with Eraserhead."

"I… No, I'm… It's fine…" Monoma said awkwardly, his emotions turning into a mess. There was the previous frustration and envy, but they'd now been joined by horror, guilt and shame. Quite the mix the one Kazuki's fellow student was dealing with, it seemed. "I'm sorry."

"No harm done. You didn't know," he replied with a slight smile. "If that's all…"

"Yes, you are free to go. Sorry for interrupting you and the other's training," Vlad King told him with a sincere smile. "It's not always that we see people from different classes interact together. It's usually very divided."

"Well, you can thank Kamakiri. He was the one that approached me and started all this," Kazuki commented, evidently surprising the teacher. "Granted, he can be a little… enthusiastic about fights."

"That's one way of putting it," the teacher told him. "Still, keep going. I've already talked to students in my own class… Oh, I'm 1-B's homeroom teacher, in case you didn't know."

"I didn't, but good to know," Kazuki replied.

"I've already said as much to my own students," the man repeated before continuing. "But you are doing this school proud, all of you."

"Thank you," Kazuki said, unsure of what else to say. He wondered if it'd ever become easier to receive praise like that. It always felt so… overwhelming.

"Now, I believe I have to have a conversation with my student in the meantime."

"... Better you than me," Kazuki told Monoma wryly before leaving the room. He'd feel whatever shitty thing this oncoming lecture caused the blonde, but at least he wouldn't get the scolding on top of that.

[}-o-{]

"Tiny, I swear to God, if you don't get a grip," Kazuki commented as the two boys walked side to side. Not only was he having to deal with Mineta's nervousness through the little trek, but he also had to put up with his fidgeting out of the corner of his eye. It was getting more and more annoying by the second.

"I'm sorry it's just…" the boy started saying in his defense, snapping out of his unsure thoughts. However, he trailed off before he could say anymore. Kazuki felt the change in the emotions though, going from nerves to sadness to frustration to shame. "I don't even remember the last time I brought a friend home," he mumbled then, hunching over as if he were trying to make himself even smaller than he already was.

"It's gonna be fine, Mineta. Honestly, what's the worst that could happen?" Kazuki asked, looking blandly as his friend gave him a horrified expression. "It's an honest question."

"Don't you know you don't just ask shit like that? We'll be lucky if we both end up dead now," Mineta mumbled, a nervous wreck that would rival even Midoriya.

Kazuki sighed.

"Look, I'll tell you what the worst thing that can happen is. That's if you didn't tell your mother who I am and what I did. The worst that can happen then is that she kicks me out and tells you to stay away from the mass murderer-"

"First of all, you aren't a mass murderer…" Mineta interrupted, giving him a slight glare. "Accidental mass murderer, at worst."

"Because that's so much better."

"Second of all," the short boy continued, ignoring his words entirely. "I've told her and she's fine with it. Well, she'll be fine with it once she meets you."

"That's encouraging," Kazuki commented, unimpressed.

"She's just a little uneasy because she doesn't know you. She won't flip, I'm sure of that," Mineta reassured him, sounding more like he was trying to reassure himself. "I'm just… I want this to go well."

"It'll be fine, Mineta, don't worry so much," he told him with a smile, even if it was a small one. "We'll go in, it'll be a little awkward at first and then we'll start talking about embarrassing stories about you and it'll be nice. I'm sure."

"Yeah, it'll be fin-" Mineta started before pausing. "What?"

"So, don't worry so much, man. I have enough to worry about myself," Kazuki commented, forcing a grin on his face and a chuckle.

"What do you have to worry about if it's gonna be fine?" Mineta asked, narrowing his eyes. "You even met Jiro's father already. It's not like this is the first time you do this."

"I know, but it's your turn to reassure me, man. There was at least stuff to talk about at Jiro's shop. And we could let music fill the awkward silence part. And… Well, going to your house isn't the same, is it? Or am I just being silly?" Kazuki asked, his previously calm demeanor crumbling to pieces.

"You are, but I guess it makes some sense," Mineta replied, apparently much more at ease dealing with Kazuki's nerves than his own.

"This is the first time I've gone to hang out at a friend's house," Kazuki mumbled, running his fingers through his hair. "I want your mother to like me, just like I wanted Jiro's father to like me. I… I really like all of you guys. You are great. I don't want to cause problems because your parents don't like me."

"It's gonna be fine, Endo. Even if my mother hates you, which I'm sure she won't, I'll still be your friend," Mineta told him, to which he nodded. He knew that. If he'd stuck with him after learning who he was, he didn't think there was that big a chance that he'd turn on him because of this… But still, it'd be much easier and overall better if his mother liked Kazuki.

"Thanks for that, but still," he replied. In the end, he didn't say much more, because they reached their destination. Kazuki nervously walked to the door and followed his friend through the portal.

"Mom, we are here!"

"I'm in the kitchen!" he heard call from somewhere in the house and he couldn't help but compare that to when he'd come back from school as a child. He'd been young, but even then he'd arrive silently, else he bothered his parents. When he did announce himself at times, he'd get a similar answer, but filled with negativity and an edge to the words, as if telling him to stay away. "It's not ready yet, so just wait for a bit, ok, boys?" Mineta's mother told them but he frowned.

"Uh, do you mind if we go there? I'd like to introduce myself," Kazuki mumbled, to which Mineta gave him a somewhat amused look. He just nodded though, and led him to their new destination. "Ma'am, nice to meet you. I'm Kazuki Endo."

As he spoke, he felt a spike of unease and nerves from the woman, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it'd be. He might have been checking that too intently, because he almost missed the woman replying with her own name and telling them what'd be there for dinner.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Endo?" she asked then, and while the emotions were still there, he was pretty sure she was honest with the invitation.

"I wouldn't want to impose."

"Nonsense. You are a friend of Minoru's. It won't be a problem at all," she replied and he thought he got the hidden message there. She might have her reservations, but he was a friend of her son's, so she'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

Kazuki could work with that.

"Then would it be fine if I helped cook, at least?"

"Oh, I like you already."

He could definitely work with that.

[} Chapter End {]

Hey guys! How's it going?

Nothing out of the ordinary in this chapter, I guess. Some training, some interactions, U.A. almost being at the center of a disaster of quite the big proportions. You know, the usual stuff.

…

… Why are you looking at me like that?

…

Er… Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter.

As always, if you can't wait until next week for next chapter, or if you just feel like supporting my writing, there's up to three new chapters in my Pa tre on:

P a treon . com (slash) AdrianKing

Discord Link: discord .gg/UTDransjJZ

Random Message: I don't have a random question to ask today, but I just wanted to tell you guys that I hope you are having a great day. If your day isn't going so well, remember this: bad things don't last forever. I'll get better eventually. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but it will.

See you.